Saturday, May 2, 2009

VJAS urged Indian Supreme Court to know the fact that GM food is most dangerous to poor than food security

VJAS urged Indian Supreme Courtto know the fact that GM food is most dangerous to poor than food security

Poverty more dangerous than GM side-effects: SC

Vidarbha JanAndolan Samiti (VJAS) farmers advocacy group apposing introduction of GM seeds in Indian after vidarbha reported more than 5000 cotton farmers suicides since June 2005 when Govt. allowed commercial trials of Bt.cotton seeds , has been shocked to see media report that the Supreme Court of India has observed thatGM seeds could possibly be a means to eradicate hunger and poverty. Poverty is probably more dangerous than the side-effects of GM seeds but it is not true as per research reports it is internationally known fact that GM food has caused a series of health problems including adverse effects on growth, impaired immune system, and organ damage that can be carried over generationsand the pertinent danger that inadequately tested GM could pose to consumer health, agriculture, environment, and even revenues earned from food exports.

some experts observed that“We will survive without GM (Genetically Modified) food but we will never be able to survive the change unleashed by the tide of modification that is called Genetic Engineering”hence in a letter to hon,ble chief justice of supreme court India VJAS president Kishore Tiwari has urged SC to go in to details of all aspects of unsafe GM food as any SC observation may lead to major health and ecological problembeforethe nation.

It is reported in Times of India dated 1 May 2009 that

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday tried to strike a balance between the apprehended side-effects of genetically modified seeds and foodgrains and the high-incidence of hunger and poverty in India.

Hearing PILs seeking stringent regulatory mechanism and advanced testing for the toxicity of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs), a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and J M Panchal said the GM seeds capable of dramatically increasing productivity could be an answer to the hunger and poverty in India.

"There is intense competition between GM seed marketing agents. We are a little suspicious of the literature they put forth. GM seeds could possibly be a means to eradicate hunger and poverty. Poverty is probably more dangerous than the side-effects of GM seeds," the Bench said.

Countering the perception of the apex court, advocates Sanjay Parikh and Prashant Bhushan argued that when the country's regulatory regime was lax and there were no advanced laboratories to test the toxicity of the GMOs, open filed trials of such genetically modified seeds could result in an irreversible catastrophe.

They suggested intense reworking of the existing regulatory regime and setting up of a National Centre for Assessment of GMOs, as suggested by a member of the expert committee, Dr P M Bhargava.

The Bench asked the Centre to submit its response by the end of August regarding setting up of a separate the National Centre for Assessment of GMOs and also the need for constituting a separate expert committee to chalk out a comprehensive regulatory mechanism with regard to GMOs.

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Vidarbha has been facing lot of heath problems after the field trials GM cotton seeds and

health and environmental impact studies conducted by expert NGOs has already reported major damages to rural life of west vidarbha including multiple issues of mealy bug’s wide spread in forest damaging lot of plants in total and fresh attacks of new viruses like chikunguniacreating massive health problems in tribal part of vidarbha and much more health damage to rural masses hence introduction of GM food in vidarbha needs more stringentregulator to monitor ecological disorder due to toxicity of GM food as reported through out the world .

“Eradication ofpoverty and hunger is must in India but with introduction of GM food ,it should noteradicate all poor” kishor tiwari added in the letter.